Innovations for Poverty Action

What are the up-and-coming innovations with the potential to improve lives at scale? Our sector teams have thoroughly reviewed the evidence and today we’re sharing a new report highlighting 14 promising interventions: “Best Bets: Emerging Opportunities for Impact at Scale”: bit.ly/bestbetsipa #BestBetsIPA #EmergingInnovations

COVID-19 increased the popularity of massive open online courses worldwide, providing access to learning opportunities from prestigious universities and programs. But can they effectively develop job skills which usually require more tailored hands-on training? A new study in Costa Rica finds that a job training program offering free Coursera courses, tailored to the job market, to workers affected by COVID-19 had low completion rates & did not improve employment. However, it boosted formal education enrollment by 11%, driven by course completers without prior higher education and those who were not previously studying. Read more about this study conducted by researchers Rafael Novella, Gerardo David Rosas Shady, & Richard Freund alongside CINDE - Experts in FDI & Inter-American Development Bank. bit.ly/ipa21281

“It is very interesting to see so many people sharing the same dream.” – Dante Guerrero, Indecopi Oficial. In December 2024, IPA hosted the Latin American Cross-Country Lab Exchange (CCLE), which brought together seven #EmbeddedEvidenceLabs from diverse sectors, including gender, environment, security, early childhood development, education, financial inclusion, and consumer protection. During this exchange, policymakers identified several key lessons: ✨Labs introduce new ways of working within government, often requiring systemic and cultural changes to overcome institutional inertia. ✨Governments operate on different timelines in their processes. Internalizing these timelines and aligning Lab activities accordingly is key to their success. ✨Labs can build and leverage networks both within and outside the institution to navigate shifting priorities during government leadership transitions. ✨Governments constantly face shifting priorities and evolving operational models. To remain resilient and responsive to these changes and emerging needs, Labs must continuously learn, adapt, and refine their design. ✨The event brought together Labs from various sectors; however, the mechanisms, strategies, and challenges they face are similar across different policy areas. ✨The event also highlighted the presence of a network of government officials capable of influencing their institutions, leading institutional changes that integrate data and evidence into decision-making. ✨This network represents a unique opportunity for national and international stakeholders to promote the use of evidence in government. Read about the participants’ reflections on the blog: bit.ly/cclelacblog

IPA and The University Of Zambia (UNZA) have recently renewed their Memorandum of Understanding for 2025–2029, reinforcing our commitment to expanding research collaboration. Since 2018, the partnership has fostered impactful collaborations, including research on home-based Growth Charts and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements to reduce stunting, the UNZA Cash Transfer study, and the LMIC Research Collaboration Initiative. UNZA researchers have served as Principal Investigators while IPA has supported emerging researchers with training in randomized evaluations and grant writing. Building on this strong foundation, both institutions aim to deepen our collaboration and generate more evidence to contribute to tackling Zambia’s pressing development challenges. Learn more about our work in Zambia: bit.ly/ipazambia Learn more about the Research Collaboration Initiative: bit.ly/iparci #IPAZambia #MoreEvidenceLessPoverty #ResearchCollaboration

In Kenya, 40 percent of pregnant women do not receive the recommended number of #AntenatalCare visits and slightly over 50 percent receive #PostpartumCare.  Many pregnant and postpartum women remain ill-informed about key aspects of their health. Research in Kenya found that women encouraged to enroll in an informational digital health platform exhibited improved knowledge and #MaternityCare behaviors including using the nationally-recommended quantity of antenatal and #PostnatalCare. They also demonstrated improved focus on their health during postpartum visits and improved newborn care practices. Learn more about the study conducted by IPA Kenya along with Harvard University's Jessica Cohen, Margaret McConnell, Raj Vatsa, Jacaranda Health's Sharon Akinyi, Cynthia Kahumbura (BEng, MBA), Dr. Sarah Little, Anneka Wickramanayake, Sathy Rajasekharan, and The World Bank's Wei Chang⤵️ bit.ly/ipa20754

How can phone-based remote learning support education in emergencies? #IPAPhilippines shares evidence on mEducation, an effective mobile phone-based tutoring program, in Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s new report Building Resilience in Education Systems. Chapter 9 highlights how simple and targeted lessons delivered via mobile phone can improve learning even during school disruptions, ensuring education continues and no student is left behind. ✨Recognizing the positive outcomes of the #mEducation program, the report shared these key lessons for policymakers and implementers: 1️⃣Education systems vulnerable to emergencies should consider adopting mobile education options as part of their preparedness toolkit. 2️⃣Robust monitoring & communication are crucial for effective emergency response. 3️⃣A culture of continuous learning helps systems adapt to crises. Read more: bit.ly/IEAM5888 IPA, along with Youth Impact, continues to engage government and education partners to adapt and scale the program across the country, making learning institutions more resilient, inclusive, and accessible, especially during emergencies. Learn more about #mEducation: bit.ly/mEducationph

Innovations for Poverty Action and the Jacobs Foundation are pleased to announce the third round of Partnerships for Tech in Education! 🔍 We will provide #EdTech organizations with the opportunity to partner with us and receive research and testing support in generating evidence for program improvement while enhancing learning outcomes globally. This is not a grant, make sure to review the conditions before applying. Learn more: bit.ly/p4ted3 Anabel Altenburg, Ahmad Jawad Asghar (Gates Foundation), Spencer MacColl (GitLab Foundation) Daniel Jarratt, Elisa de Rooij Mansur (VélezReyes+)

The Global Poverty Research Lab (GPRL) at Northwestern University is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Mulford as its new Senior Director. With over 20 years of experience leading multi-sectoral development programs and designing evidence-based strategies to address poverty, Michael brings a wealth of expertise in research, program leadership, and policy engagement.   Prior to joining GPRL, Michael served as Chief of Party for the Strengthen PSNP Institutions and Resilience (SPIR) program in Ethiopia, a $206M USAID-funded initiative, where he directed a team of over 1,500 staff supporting programming for more than 600,000 Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) clients. He led the design and implementation of six randomized controlled trials (RCTs), including research on the integration of mental health interventions into graduation programs. His research collaboration with colleagues at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has contributed to policy-relevant findings published in peer-reviewed journals and presented through policy briefs and global development forums. Michael holds a PhD in Development Economics from Wageningen University and an M.S. in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University. He has also played a pivotal role in securing and managing large-scale grants, having successfully led the design and acquisition of over $300M in development funding for programs in Sub-Saharan Africa.   Please join us in welcoming Michael!

🎬 New Film: Taking the Alternative Path Across East Africa, young women are running businesses, supporting their families, and forging their own paths. But many face real barriers—unfinished schooling, financial constraints, and limited opportunities. This film, made in partnership with Educate!, follows Precious, Beatrice, and Jackline—three young entrepreneurs in Kenya—who are growing their businesses and creating new opportunities for themselves and others. Through Educate!'s mentorship and training, they’ve gained the skills to build businesses to thrive. Here is their story. ⬇️

Information can be valuable for migrants in reducing barriers to programs that can provide them regular status & access to work, healthcare, & education. WhatsApp is increasingly used to share & gather information due to high usage rates, but a new IPA study in Colombia suggests it may not always be an effective tool with hard-to-reach populations. WhatsApp videos meant to help displaced Venezuelans register for a regularization program—which grants work rights & access to essential social services for 10 years—actually decreased registration by 15%. Meanwhile, WhatsApp surveys to track the impact of the videos struggled to collect data from migrants, dealing with losses in contacts & low response rates. Read more about this impact evaluation by IPA Colombia with researchers Andrés Moya, Sandra Rozo & María José Urbina Flórez: bit.ly/ipa21152